Pumice Filter Media

Question

Hello All
What is pumice filter media? is it a good alternative for sand/anthracite specifically for seawater filtration in the Red sea area?
What are long term considerations to be assessed for selecting pumice over anthracite for gravity or pressurized filtration plants? 
In addition to filtering TSS, will it also help in removing other suspended impurities like TEP, algal blooms, organics, color etc. parameters which are generally neglected by designers of pretreatment section of SWRO plants.
Thank you for your help!

Edward Blackmore · Answer

Dear Anvar,
The benefits of using pumice over anthracite is that you require less backwash pressure and water to expand the bed by the same factor. Air scouring and backwashing is very effective in cleaning the bed. We have supplied this material throughout the Middle East  and the Red Sea, I will forward our reference list shortly.
Eddie

Anvar Ahemad Mansuri · Answer

thank you Mr. Edward.  I have an anxiety that the large number of pores in pumice will no doubt help in capturing suspended particles, but will the air scouring be efficient? will it remove all the capture solids (within the pores) by one normal backwash cycle? Again the bulk density is lower than anthracite, what effect will it have on the blower design?

Edward Blackmore · Answer

Dear Sir,
My name is Edward Blackmore and I head up the Water Treatment Division here at Techfil. We are the Worlds largest producer and supplier of Pumice Filtration Media for DMF pre-treatment prior to RO and SWRO. We have supplied sites worldwide, both into new installations and existing plants where our pumice media has been proven as an alternative to anthracite and at a much lower capital cost.
Using our Pumice Media we would expect the following filtration performance:
Filtered Water Quality:
- Suspended Solids < 1 mg/l
- SDI < 2
- turbidity < 1 NTU
Additional information on our company and our Pumice Filtration Media can be found on our websites:
www.techfil.co.uk
www.pumicefiltrationmedia.com
 
Should you have any specific technical questions regarding our Pumice Media please let me know, and should I not be able to answer them I will forward onto our Chief Process Engineer.
 
Many thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.
 
Very best regards,
 
Eddie
 
Edward Blackmore
Water Treatment Division

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